By And Large, Business Travel Is Not A Pleasurable Experience

Business travel has become so common that a considerable proportion of the corporate world of America is spending more time in airplanes and hotels than on their couches or in their automobiles.

According to a recent estimate, about 40 million adults in the US travel on business at least once a year to a location about 50 miles from home. More than 20 percent of the trips made by African Americans, for instance, are related to their work.

Those who do not need to travel frequently on business consider business travel glamorous and exciting. However, in reality, business travel is often arduous.

It is tough physically, tough on the family, and especially tough on the pockets of businesspersons who do not have the luxury of generous expense accounts to take care of their travel expenses.

In addition, those who travel on business regularly, quickly wise up to the fact that a stress-free and safe journey requires the smooth functioning of a number of interconnected factors, which includes the vagaries of the weather.

According to a study conducted recently, monitoring business travel trends:

– 58 percent of business travel is undertaken for association meetings and conferences,

– 43 percent comprising of business travel made by individuals,

– and 29 percent for corporate meetings.

The study also identified some of the most popular destinations within the US for business travel. They are:

– Washington, D.C.,

– New York,

– Los Angeles/Long Beach,

– Chicago,

– Atlanta,

– Boston,

– Houston,

– Minneapolis-St. Paul,

– Detroit,

– and Dallas.

Irrespective of what the destination is, business travel is seldom an enjoyable experience. Some companies will allow their business travelers the opportunity to enjoy their travel surroundings but this is usually short lived depending on the demands of the trip.

Business travelers, who have to make frequent trips, need special facilities to ease the hassles of traveling. Airlines and hotels are increasing the levels of services they provide in order to meet the growing demands of business travelers:

Usually, business travelers research fares on their own and make their reservations online. According to a survey, it was found that only 32 percent of corporate travelers used the services of travel agents for their reservation needs, while the rest, 68 percent, preferred using the internet or online services to plan at least some part of their business traveling arrangements.

Business travelers are usually technologically conversant; hence, choose to handle all their traveling arrangements through the Internet, limiting the necessity of having to interact with travel agents and professionals dealing with customer service.

Most tourism related sites offer one-stop travel facilities for reservations of flights, booking rooms in hotels, and providing transportation on the ground.

Major airlines like Delta and American have included travel-friendly features like locating cheap fares, finding economical hotel accommodation, and hiring cars on a rental basis inexpensively on their websites.

Travelers, thus, can make arrangements for an entire business trip, which includes seating preferences, confirming special food requests, and a text message or e-mail verifying their flight status and information about the departure timings with a few clicks of the mouse button.
Most of these sites provide boarding passes that can be printed out and online check-ins within 24 hours of the departure of the flight.

At the airport, those travelers in a hurry can take advantage of check-in kiosks in order not to have to wait in long lines, and get their boarding passes and their seating information.

Frequent Flyer Miles, Automatic Upgrades, and Comfortable Seating:

One of the biggest perks of traveling frequently on business is the facility of accumulating points, which can be exchanged for vacations. Travelers, therefore, are always on the look out for hotels offering generous points facilities.

Frequent air travelers also favor automatic upgrades and comfort inside the airplane, such as generous legroom and additional storage facilities overhead. Business traveler programs like Elite-access provided by Continental Airlines offer comforts like guarantees of no-middle-seat and upgrades to the first class if possible.

Getting Value for Money:

Companies are constantly curtailing overhead expenses by cutting down on the travel allowances they give their executives, while business travelers look for ways in which they can maximize their allowances to the fullest.

For example, several hotels offer free breakfasts, while others provide complimentary facilities such as a welcoming snack or allowing their guests to make free long distance and local calls. Many hotels also offer free newspapers, tea and coffee.

Everything You Ever Needed to Know About Payday Loans But Were Afraid to Ask

A payday loan is a small short term loan you can use to cover expenditure until your next payday. You can apply online and the decision to loan you the money is made almost straight away. In most cases the whole application can be completed online and the money loaned can be credited into your bank account on the same day as you make your application.

A payday loan is an unsecured loan, so it is not dependent on collateral, such as you owning a house or car etc.

Generally when you make your first application you can borrow any amount up to £300, depending on your take home pay. You are more likely to be approved the less you want to borrow, so it is advisable to borrow only what you need. Once you have successfully repaid loans with one particular company they may then offer to lend you anything up to about £750 in subsequent loans.

Payday loans can provide a useful solution for short term cash flow problems.

Who can apply for a Payday loan?

In order to be eligible for a payday loan you must be over 18 years old and in employment with a take home wage of at least £750 per month. You must also have a bank account with a valid debit card.

Even if you have bad credit history you should still be able to obtain a payday loan as long as you fulfill the above criteria.

How do you get a Payday loan?

The majority of payday loans are available online, so there is no delay with faxing or posting of documents. The application process is quick and easy to complete. You will be asked for your name, address, details about your monthly income and employment, when your next payday is, along with the amount you wish to borrow and your bank account details.

Once you have submitted your application you should hear back from the payday loan provider within minutes. They will email you with their decision to the email address you have registered with your application.

Payday loan providers partly make their decision as whether to lend you money dependent on the amount you want to borrow compared to the amount you earn. Only borrow what you need, the less you borrow the more likely that your application will be accepted and the smaller the amount of interest you will accrue.

If your application is successful you will be sent, by email, your loan agreement showing the amount that will be lent to you, the repayment date and the amount of interest you will pay on the repayment date. Along with the loan agreement you should also be sent loan conditions. These loan conditions should outline your rights under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 along with details about repaying the loan, cancelling the loan and the use the personal information you supply when applying for the payday loan.

If you are happy to proceed you sign online by providing details of your name and answering a security question such as your mothers’ maiden name. Then, email this back to the loan provider and the money will be deposited into the bank account you registered at the application process. The money can be deposited in your bank account on the same day you make the application, so this is a very fast and efficient way of borrowing money short term.

How do I repay the loan?

You will need to repay the loan amount and the interest accrued on the repayment date as specified in the loan agreement. The repayment date is usually your payday, hence the name payday loan.

The repayment will be collected by the loan provider by debiting the bank account you registered at the application process, which is the bank account into which you get your wages paid.

Repayment over a longer period

Payday loans may be extended if you find yourself in a position to be unable to satisfy all or part of the amount due on the repayment date. If this happens it is recommended that you contact your payday loan provider as soon as possible and explain your circumstances to them. They will then be able to explain your options and how to go about extending your loan.

Even if you are not able to fully settle the repayment amount, it is advisable to pay off as much as possible on the repayment date. This will help to keep the amount of interest you owe to a minimum. Some companies may charge you additional fees for extending your loan, you should check if this is the case before you sign your loan agreement.

Regulation of Payday Loan Companies

Properly regulated payday loan companies must adhere to strict laws governing the finance industry.

As with any financial product you apply for it is always advisable to check that the company offering the loan is properly regulated. The payday loan company you are applying to should show its Consumer Credit License number within its loan conditions and it should also be authorized by the Office of Fair Trading. If you are in any doubt as to whether the payday loan company you are considering applying to is fully regulated then you are within your rights to contact either of these bodies for further information.

As long as the payday loan company you are applying to is properly regulated, there will be a recognized body to make any complaints you may have to and you can be assured that you will not be subject to any unfair practices.

What are the benefits of a Payday loan?

Fast

One of the main benefits of a payday loan is the speed at which the cash can be credited to you. The money you need can be available to you in your bank account on the same day that you make the application. This can provide valuable assistance if you have a short term cash flow problem and need money in an emergency.

Simple

The application process is very simple, it takes just minutes to apply for a payday loan and you do not have waste time posting or faxing documents to the payday loan provider, as you would with other more traditional high street loans.

Poor Credit History

Payday loans are available to people with a poor credit history. This is because payday loan companies do not solely make their decision to lend based on a persons credit history. As long as you fulfill the application criteria you have a good chance of obtaining a payday loan. For many people a payday loan may be the only way they are able to obtain credit, especially in the current financial climate where the majority of lenders are unwilling to provide loans altogether, never mind to a person with a poor credit history.

Use of the Loan Money

You do not have to tell the payday loan provider what you need the payday loan for. You can use the money for whatever you want. You may need money in an emergency which can not wait until payday for instance; emergency medical or dental treatment, to settle a bill quickly, extra spending money on holiday or even for a romantic weekend away. The choice is yours as long as you make the repayment due on the repayment date.

No Upfront Costs

There are no upfront costs associated with a payday loan. You do not pay anything back until the repayment date you have agreed to in the loan agreement.

Why does the APR appear high on payday loans?

The APR applied to payday loans appears at first glance to be high. This is very misleading, but there is a simple reason why this figure looks so high. APR is an Annual Percentage Rate, and as such is calculated over a whole year (365 days). However, a payday loan is taken usually only over a number of days or weeks.

The APR calculation was not designed to apply to very short term loans such as payday loans. It was designed to apply to long term loans in existence for a year or more. It is really a theoretical figure than enables people to compare similar longer term loan products, like mortgages or ongoing credit balances.

Rather than relying on the APR rate it is more advisable to look directly at the loan agreement to see exactly how much interest you will be charged for the period of your payday loan. Some companies have a standard interest charge for the amount you wish to borrow regardless of the duration of the loan. It is then up to you to decide whether you will be able to repay both the cash advance you receive initially and the interest amount on the repayment date.

To Conclude

Many people do not have savings or access to credit cards or more traditional loans and so the convenience of a regulated payday loan provides piece of mind should the occasion arise that they need some money quickly.

If you need money in a hurry, can not wait until payday and are confident that you can make the necessary repayments on the repayment date, this could be the ideal solution for you.

Overall, payday loans are convenient, easy to access and offer a viable option for people who require money quickly for whatever reason.

DIY Roofing Projects

Time

One common mistake made by those seeking the adventure of installing a new roof in “do-it-yourself ” fashion, is to underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete a roof. If you are doing a job yourself, chances are you are recruiting family and friends to help you. If the you and those people working alongside you are not used to working outside in the heat, they can easily tire and make your project last twice as long as projected. Also, if you do not have specialized roofing tools, and instead use common household tools such as hammers and flat nose shovels, a roof tear off can take longer than expected and become a bit of a trial.

Underestimating the amount of time a roofing project will take can become a serious problem, especially if the weather forecast changes or if you are forced to leave your roof half done for a few days while you return to work or other commitments. I have seen more than one house flood, to the point that they had to replace sheetrock, carpet and furniture, because they were doing the job themselves. The wind blew off their covering, or the roof was not covered in time, as an unexpected downpour moved through.

It is difficult to tarp most roofs because one tarp will not cover the entire exposed area. If you combine tarps to cover the exposed roof, it is vitally important to overlap the tarps such that water will not funnel under tarps and into the living quarters and cause interior damage. When tarping a roof, you also need to go around water heater and furnace exhaust pipes, as well as chimneys and swamp coolers, etc. Often, the wind will blow a tarp off a roof during a storm leaving your home exposed to the elements.

To help prevent this, use battens (1×2 lumber) and 8 penny nails throughout the field of the tarp. It is always best to tear off only what you can secure properly by that evening with underlay properly installed around all roof penetrations. Don’t forget to check credible weather forecasts, such as NOAA.gov, throughout the project, viewing satellite images of the weather. A change in the weather can spell disaster for you and your home.

Experience

Another common DIY roofing obstacle is lack of experience. Even your family and friend’s best intentions in helping you on your project will not make up for inexperience. There are certain areas of a roof that need to be installed in a specific manner and order, including ice shields (after drip edge) at eaves, valleys and penetrations. This is why it is a good idea to always have at least one experienced roofer helping when you install a roof.

It is very important to install a proper ice shield on your roof, especially in areas with heavy snow. It is essential to have this secondary measure against moisture penetration and leaks. An ice shield will protect your home as ice dams up in the eaves and valleys and against walls. This roofing technique should be done by an experienced roofer to ensure your home is protected.

Also, keep in mind that inexperienced roofers can actually damage your shingles. If they move across your roof in a way that scuffs the shingles with their shoes or tools, they can remove granules from the shingles. These granules protect the asphalt shingle. Without them, the sun can wear out the exposed asphalt where the granules are missing. These situations can be costly, and are easily avoided by using experienced help.

Safety

When planning a DIY roofing project, be sure to consider the element of safety. Make sure you are using a sturdy ladder without any damage. If you are on a steep roof, you will need harnesses, safety nets and / or guardrails to prevent any falls. About 8 roofers die each year in the US because of falls, and many more are injured.

Also, be aware of power lines near your roof. Keep the ladder away from these power lines, and be aware of them as you are carrying any metal roofing materials. Electricity has been known to arc or jump from these lines for several feet if precautions are not met.

In addition to safety on the roof, be sure you are aware of people, animals and vehicles on the ground that could be damaged by falling objects. It is not worth someone getting injured to skip over these safety procedures.

Finances

The most considered reason for roofing a home yourself usually comes down to finances. However, there are a few options to consider that can help you afford a professionally installed roof. If you can in any way afford to hire a contractor, do it. You can end up spending more money in repairs over the life of your roof than you would have initially by hiring out.

If you are not currently in a position to hire a contractor to install your roof, look into the possibility of patching your roof while you save for the project, or if necessary, a home loan for your roof, breaking down the expensive project into reasonable regular payments. Also, consider performing the tear off yourself and hiring out for the installation. This can really help reduce the overall price of your roof.

Installing a Roof Yourself

If you have no other option but to install your roof yourself, be sure to come prepared. Take the time to do plenty of research. Read advice from your shingle’s manufacturers, or from certified roofing contractors. This is not a good project in which to follow the advice of a DIY blog. Instead, make sure your sources are both credible and experienced. We recommend Owens Corning and Certainty shingles, who both offer installation instructions for each shingle listed on their websites. Also, GAF has a great general DIY section of their website that will help you plan and carry out a successful roofing project.

Even after you have done the proper research to become knowledgeable about installing a roof, it is still a good idea to consult an experienced roofer. If you need any advice, or have any questions, don’t hesitate to call a roofing contractor.

Another great option is to hire a roofing consultant to come to your home and guide you through the roofing process. A consultant usually costs about $200 a visit. It would be a good investment to have a consultant come after you are finished tearing off your old roof and immediately before you begin installing your new shingles. This will help ensure that you are using correct tools, techniques and materials.

In conclusion, your roof is one of the most important aspects of your home. It protects your entire structure and all of your possessions from potential damage. When debating whether or not to install your roof yourself, be sure to make the decision with an honest assessment of how dependable the roof will be in the future.

Home Furniture Shopping Tips

Home Furniture – How to Shop for Home Furniture

Knowing where to begin when it’s time to shop for furniture could be an overwhelming task for just about anybody. It is often a huge purchase, and not to be taken lightly. You must take into account a great deal of elements, including your space, color scheme, fabric, furniture size, ease, and excellent. The very first issue to think about with home furniture is how considerably place currently obtainable. If the furniture is also big, you may make your area feel also little, and vice versa. So the size from the furniture you wish to buy as well as the measurement with the place make a huge impression upon your options.

You must know how a lot your spending budget is for the new home furniture. The reason for this really is that you need to purchase the greatest good quality furniture feasible within your spending budget, but you don’t want to go overboard and go into debt whenever you purchase your new pieces. It is possible to use the online to scout out what styles of furniture you like and to have thoughts. It is possible to even order your furniture on the internet if you desire to, though it really is recommended that if you ever find furniture you like on-line, go to a nearby shop first to become positive you like the way it looks and feels in person. A single good issue about this really is which you can see it inside a showroom among matching pieces and complimentary decor.

Regardless if you ever buy new home furniture from a store or on the web, make sure you visualize how the furniture will in fact appear as part of your personal home. Feel again about the size with the area and furniture. Whilst you’re at the store or on a internet site looking at furniture within a showroom display, get some tips to the decor to your newly decorated area at your home. If the stores do not have quite what you need, contemplate checking with many stores about specific order alternatives.

Just a few of the other points which you must take into account are color structure, fabric, comfort, and high quality. Needless to say you would like your new home furniture goes along with all the color scheme within your room. The fabric need to be a single you like the feel of and is durable to match your way of life. You ought to be comfy with the firmness and shape from the furniture. The high quality with the furniture is certainly very essential. Get the highest high quality it is possible to for the spending budget, and you’ll be really happy with all the choices you make when buying new pieces for ones home.

Log Home Furniture

It is relaxing and peaceful to enter a well-decorated home. Log home furniture and rustic decor creates an unpretentious, warm atmosphere that still conveys luxury. A palette of natural materials, such as wood, metal, stoneware, antlers, and woolen textiles, creates a welcoming environment that lets you know you have arrived at your own personal oasis. Log home furniture is very popular and it can create a unified environment that is warm, relaxing, and elegant.

Log furniture is created from strong, durable Douglas fir logs that are hand-peeled and air-dried; each log contains the slight variations in diameter, knots, checking and grain patterns that makes it unique. It is made by using exotic wood, the only self-renewing natural resource. Harvesting wood is less damaging to the environment than the mining and processing of other materials. It is relatively easy to work with and its density-to-weight ratio makes it ideal for strength and load-bearing. Good log home furniture lets almost no humidity accumulate on the log surface, and is protected from decay and insects. Log furniture dries completely in the open air.

Log furniture of exceptional quality and craftsmanship is available in the market. Log furniture can be created as an exclusive and contemporary expression using oak, fir, copper, tile, arborite, fabric and popular stain colors with logs. All designs available follow the latest design techniques and can suit any type of home, whether traditional or contemporary. Log furniture is gaining popularity because of the uniqueness it carries, as no two pieces look the same. A log furniture piece is a form of natural, hand-made free-form art.

Family Home Furniture

Furniture for the large family

You can deal with the space requirements of your home through the planned purchase of the practical triple bunk beds that are especially made for large families or schools. These are the ultimate space saving items that you have in your grasp and you should not lose focus on the important things. It is not easy working your way through the different elements that make the family home work. But the purchase of these items can be a good thing. You expect practicability when you go for the buying and selling of furniture for the home as well as other institutions with large numbers of occupants. It does not have to be an establishment when you buy these items.

Even the domestic settings could do with the trading of space saving furniture that is meant to ensure the efficient use of available living spaces in the home. You are effectively looking for something that works instead of concentrating on the stereotypes about this type of furniture. It is not important who you are but how you are going to use the furniture that is available to you. The advice that many people need is to go for the right choices and not the popular choices. That way you can concentrate on the acquisition of good quality furniture with the added advantage of being able to save on space. If you are easily swayed by trends then the results will not be particularly nice for you in the long run.

The there are great benefits to be had from the deals in furniture items with the good looks and the ability to use space effectively within a given context. These are items that are relatively inexpensive yet they bring an unprecedented utility to the way that you do things. They might even transform your home in ways that are beneficial. For example you might now be in a position to receive visitors and this will make your social life richer. It is very hard to think of the exchange of various products with the sole aim of maximizing the potential within residential units in a completely neutral. They are items that are not iconic but they enable home owners to make the most of their properties.

You might be worried that your home may end up looking like a school dormitory. This is a valid concern but it is somehow mitigated by the way that you can save on space. The use of the searching of different retail outlets with the possibility of getting furniture items that improve the space coverage of the different home furnishing items can be very useful to your family. In effect you are sacrificing the stylistic concerns for the true benefits of the item. That is all about being practical in the way that you use the items that are available to you. That is the reason why many families are carrying out the process of purchasing high quality items for the home environment with different income groups or their needs.

Home Furniture Design and Fabric Selection

Home furniture design and fabric selection are very important to a modern homeowner, whether male or female. Nobody wants to choose the wrong furniture or home fabrics, and although the furniture might appear the more important of the two, the wrong fabric selection can completely ruin an otherwise well-designed room.

So what do you do? Leave it to chance and hope that your untrained eye is as good as that of anybody else, or hire a professional to help you? In fact, your own opinion about how to decorate and furnish your home is likely to please you just as much as that of a professional interior designer. Most people who worry about such things are trying to please friends and visitors rather than select what they personally like.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, because most people do not make the best decisions when it comes to home furniture design and fabric selection. While there is no procedure you can follow to come up with what is best for your home, here are some guidelines on how to go about selecting your furniture design and how to make the correct fabric selection to go with it.

Decide on a Theme

You cannot even begin to consider furniture without deciding on a theme for your home – or even for each individual room. Very few people furnish and decorate their entire home on one single theme, but tend to mix them. Thus, many people love to have at least one themed room in their home: an Egyptian room or a room based on Ancient Rome, Classical Greece or an Asian, Wild West or Native American theme.

None of these is suitable for general household furniture, of course, or for the normal fabric selection you will find in your local sores. However, it does show that your whole house doesn’t have to be decorated the same way. So when you decide on a theme, your living room, dining room, kitchen and bedroom can all be based on a certain home accent – even a traditional one.

For example, you can use antique style furniture and fabrics in your lounge or living room, with sofas and perhaps a chaise lounge in the classical French style. Your dining room might be either contemporary, with a black glass-topped dining room table or one in beautiful glossy French polished walnut or mahogany with Queen Anne legs. The chairs might be traditionally webbed and sprung, and then upholstered in tapestry or velvet fabric.

What this is inferring is that you should decide on a general them for each room before you decide on appropriate home furniture design, and then choose the furniture and a fabric selection appropriate to that theme.

Home Furniture Design

As stated, the design of your furniture should go with the theme: contemporary, antique, Georgian or art nouveaux for example. Furniture makers such as The Custom Shoppe can help you design your own solid wood furniture, offering a choice of designs and woods appropriate to your general theme.

You may have chosen a Shaker theme with simple solid wood furniture. Shakers used what was available locally, such as pine, birch, cherry and poplar, and some even used maple or beech. You might prefer something more European, with stained dark oak, walnut, or cherry veneer or the exotic cinnamon-colored Asian teak or solid mahogany which has a beautiful deep red shade. Rosewood is another beautiful wood suitable for most forms of home furniture design.

Traditional American furniture, such as that available from American Craftsman, could be fashioned from light oak, apple or cherry, and black American black cherry is very much in vogue. So is Maple, although the wood you choose should be appropriate to the rest of the furniture in your room.

Home Fabric Selection

If you choose light oak for your dresser or armoire, a walnut or mahogany chest of drawers or table would not go well. This is where advice on home furniture design would be worth seeking. The same is even truer when you consider your home fabric selection. This is where genuinely serious mistakes can be made.

It would be far better if you could find somebody well versed in interior design, and while you might think that it doesn’t really matter – it does! If your drapes, rugs and upholstery fabrics all match, and the colors and designs were appropriate to the type of furniture you have chosen, then an OK room could be converted into a fabulous room.

Get It Right – For the Cats, Kids and the Visitors!

Keep in mind that not all fabrics are cat-proof, and many are also not child-proof. What that means in general terms is that you should be practical when choosing fabrics, and understand that what might be perfect for occasional dinner parties might not be so suitable for general use in a household with kids and a colony of cats with blunt claws needing sharpening!

Space planning, home furniture design, fabric selection and all the rest that make a room what it is, should be thought out and complement each other. You will get your reward when that first visitor walks into your room and gasps ‘WOW!’ That is why you should make a serious effort to get these things right.

6 Things To Consider Before Choosing An Auto Transport Company

In my previous article of this series I discussed some things you should know before you decide to transport your car across the country. In this installment I am going to give you some additional advice to follow before actually deciding on a particular transporter or method of transport. And I will also give you a few general tips that you should follow to make your move as painless as possible.

Check for Adequate Insurance

Prior to entrusting your vehicle to an auto transporting company, be sure that the company is correctly accredited, and insured. Cars can occasionally get damaged in the course of a move; therefore you need to ensure that your service provider has adequate insurance to cover any damage your car may receive while in transport. Be sure you know what the transport company’s insurance policies cover and the amount of insurance deductible you would need to pay out in case there is an insurance claim. You should also check with your own insurance carrier to see what they will cover in the unlikely event that your car in damaged during transport.

Have your Vehicle Inspected

Before giving your vehicle to the transport company for inspection, take it in for a complete servicing. This is to make certain that it is in good working condition with no mechanical, electrical or other problems. Regarding the inspection of your motor vehicle, always keep in mind that it is for your benefit as well as for the benefit of the transport company to have your car or truck inspected prior to having it loaded onto the transport carrier.

To make the vehicle easier to inspect, you should ensure that the vehicle is thoroughly clean. The outside should have no dirt on it, and the inside should be neat and uncluttered, making it easy to inspect for any signs of damage or general wear and tear. Document any dents, dings, or any minute scratches on your vehicle together with the company so there will be absolutely no possibility of a later misunderstanding once your vehicle is returned to you. Another inspection will likely be administered at the drop off location.

Although damage is unusual, it can unfortunately occur. Therefore it is critical that you document any damages to your vehicle on the bill of lading, as soon as your car comes off the truck, and before you drive it away. The transport company will not take responsibility for any damage that you report to them after you have already taken possession of your vehicle.

Minimum Requirements for Non-Working Vehicles

If your vehicle is not working it can still be hauled. Although it is certainly possible to haul an inoperable vehicle, your car at the very minimum should be able to be rolled, steered, and braked. Otherwise a forklift will need to be used at both the pickup and delivery locations, which will add to the complexity and cost of your move. Keep in mind that your inoperable vehicle must be located in an adequate sized lot for the truck and forklift to have access to it if necessary.

Should You Use A Broker?

Brokers act as intermediaries between you, the client, and the transporter or motor carrier, and are in fact the primary source of freight for the majority of motor carriers in the industry. The majority of brokerages are non-asset based, meaning that they do not actually own any trucks but rather work on behalf of their clients to get their car moved quickly and at a reasonable price using their large network of pre qualified motor carriers. Since brokers typically don’t own any trucks they do not have to burden of having idle trucks just sitting around that need to be on the road, but instead can focus on locating the best auto shipper to transport your vehicle.

Brokers frequently weed out the trucking companies with poor customer service or lots of complaints as they do not want to utilize a transportation company that doesn’t deliver top quality services. They utilize tools that you simply do not have access to that enables them to track the transport company’s safety record, driver history, insurance coverage, or fraudulent activity (if any). This is priceless information you simply cannot obtain just by searching the Internet, so using a broker to facilitate your vehicle move can save you a lot of time and headache. You basically make a single phone call to the broker and they’ll help you get a list of available, reputable companies to work with.

The best vehicle transport brokers will make sure that their customers be given a variety of transport options to enable them to make a suitable choice based on their budget as well as their particular transport requirements for his or her motor vehicle.

Vehicle transportation brokers provide transport services across the United States and in many cases internationally as well. Utilizing vast databases of carriers, they are able to easily locate a carrier which offers car or truck transport services within your general location and arrange pickup inside of 2 or 3 days. Brokers offer transport solutions for virtually any type of motor vehicle, and though they don’t ship the vehicle themselves with regards to motor vehicle transport, this is your best option.

How Much Will It Cost?

Your rate will likely be determined by the method of transportation you choose and will differ based upon the transport company and your pickup location relative to your desired drop off destination. In general, the more accessible the location and the destination the more affordable the transport conversely out of the way regions will be far more costly to transport your vehicle to.

Typically the most cost-effective way to transport a motor vehicle is on an open car carrier. This is the type of large, multilevel, truck that we so often see on the road. An open car carrier can hold as much as 15 automobiles simultaneously depending on the situation. Typically car manufacturers and dealerships use commercial transporters such as these for getting their cars and trucks from one location to another. Open car carriers are quite dependable, however they aren’t appropriate for every situation (I will discuss this further in the upcoming article).

The transport process may take roughly 2-10 days for the mover to pick up your motor vehicle. The timing is determined by a number of factors such as the region of the country that the automobile will be picked-up from, and the distance that it must travel to get to its final destination. Keep in mind that lengthier distance moves usually takes more time to coordinate., and that after your car or truck is picked up for transport, it may take as much as 21 days to deliver your vehicle to the specified drop off location. However the actual amount of time it takes will really depend upon your pickup and drop locations.

If you need your vehicle picked up and delivered ASAP most transporters will offer you an expedited service for an additional cost. In general the faster you want your vehicle delivered the more it’s going to cost you. You can get a wide range of prices from a number of transport companies simply by searching on the Internet, and this is a good place to start when you begin shopping around, however do not let price be your only criteria for choosing a company. Look for a company that provides quality service even if they are more expensive, you will be happy that you did.

Overall, if this is your first car moving experience it is probably best to go with an experienced auto transport broker who will save you a lot of time and headache. They have the knowledge, the connections, and the negotiating power to get you through this as painlessly as possible.

General Tips

If access to your home is limited because of a narrow street, trees with low hanging branches, speed bumps or very tight turns, the driver may ask you to meet the truck at a different destination or we will arrange a convenient location, like a shopping center or major street crossing, to pick up or deliver your vehicle for Car Move.

Remember when relocating to a cooler climate make certain you check all antifreeze and fluids in your car or truck prior to transport. This will guarantee that no part of the engine will be damaged during cold starts in frigid temperatures. The Automobile Transporter will not take responsibility for any problem with your car that they didn’t directly cause.

Also keep in mind that if your house is restricted by narrow roadways, low-hanging trees and shrubs, speed bumps or tight turns, the driver might request you to meet him at a different location like a shopping mall or major street crossing, to either pick up or deliver your motor vehicle to you.

Lastly, it’s never a good idea to store personal items in your vehicle during transport. Any personal items left in the car or truck is not going to be covered if it gets lost or stolen. Remove any valuable items before your car gets picked up.

Corporate Travel – Is It Time to Centralize Your Program Again?

Corporate travel has undergone a ton of changes in recent years, the most important being the advent of easy access to airfare via the internet. As more travelers found value in better control over their schedules by using the internet, many organizations loosened their travel policies to allow for travelers to book on their own online. This perceived benefit to travelers has actually cost businesses quite a bit in terms of lost productivity, lack of control over unused tickets, and lack of access to airline programs that can save the company significantly in all areas of travel.

Can we agree that online travel booking, while advantageous in some ways, has not been all we had hoped it would be from the outset? I hear stories from travelers every day about how difficult online booking can be, and how even when using the internet, travelers simply cannot be sure they are getting the best fare. This uncertainty gnaws at travelers and coordinators, and for good reason. It is difficult to be certain of what you are getting online because there is no track record of success, and no level of trust between the organization and the travel provider.

Collaboration between your organization and your chosen travel management provider is critical. This collaboration will reap benefits for your company in terms of a better working relationship and an anticipation of your current and future needs as they relate to the constantly changing corporate travel environment.

Centralized travel needs to make a comeback for the sake of the corporate travel program, and the sanity of travelers and travel coordinators. Because all distribution channels have access to the same fares and rates, there are fewer reasons today to continue with a decentralized travel policy. Executive level buy-in is critical, and it is easy to allow travelers to keep the level of control they like while still requiring travel booking through the preferred corporate channel. Most brick and mortar agencies now offer online booking solutions that can be customized to meet the needs of the unique corporate travel policy.

The benefits of centralizing travel again are many. Here is a comprehensive, but certainly not an exhaustive, list of reasons to regain control of this important but under-scrutinized budget. It will certainly have a positive impact on your company and its ability to serve your customers and improve traveler morale.

  • Access to airline and hotel discount programs through agency and provider contracts
  • Centralized booking allows travelers to be more organized and efficient
  • Unused tickets can be tracked and hotel cancellation policies can be managed
  • Centralized billing of hotels and car rentals
  • More efficient booking processes
  • Effective customer service for the inevitable changes and issues that come up with business travel
  • Customized and centralized financial and accounting reports

Many corporations find that the best solution is a combination of booking options, with most using an online booking portal provided by their agency partner, along with real live agent help when travelers are pressed for time or have more complex travel itineraries. The key in my opinion is to re-examine the travel program from every angle. There are more airline programs that are available to businesses than ever before. New opportunities to save money and streamline processes are out there for you. United Airlines recently began offering a discount off of every fare for corporate partners. That includes cheapest coach class seats, which even many Fortune 500 companies do not have access to. This is just one example of under-publicized opportunities for your company that can be had through the old-fashioned agency relationship.

It’s time we took another pass at the corporate travel program to see where efficiencies can be found and savings opportunities can be uncovered. Your travelers and coordinators may even be able to get back to what they’re actually paid to do. Take care of your customers and propel your business forward.

What to Look For to Find the Best Home Furniture Deals

Shopping for home furniture can be very frustrating if you do it unprepared. It is always recommended to go out and do a little research first before you decide on where and what furniture you must buy. You would want to know which furniture stores in your area carry certain items and brands. Also try to ask around on where you can buy quality furniture at a good price. Take the time to ask your friends who have bought furniture on which shop sells the best and have good customer service.

Online home furniture stores are just like regular retail store. There are many of them and each of the shop is different than the other. There are shops which may carry a certain specialty and other that have a range of designs depending on your choice. Some of these stores may sell their furniture at affordable prices while others may charge at sky high amounts. Again, it is up to you to do the snooping and figuring out which stores are the best and which ones would give you your money’s value.

When you have decided on the furniture you want in your home, always make sure that what you are getting is good. You may have noticed that you have gone to different furniture stores and some of them sell the same sofa, only on the second store, it is sold for less. Researching will never hurt you and can actually save you a few bucks. There are a lot of good home furniture store that have furniture on sale. Some of these carry promotions like sales on home bedroom furniture or home bathroom furniture. Find out shops that have these kinds of promotions, usually you can save a lot when you buy things on sale.

When making your purchase of home decor furniture final, try and make sure that you have asked the owner or the salesman enough information about your item. There are some items that may need special caring or others that need to be cleaned in a different manner. If what you are getting is furniture made of wood, ask on what is the best way to keep it looking polished. Years from the time you have bought the item, the wood may look old or worn but these salesmen know the trick on how maintain your furniture.

Do not be fooled with set items that you may think come in cheaper. Always solve for the price of each. Some items are really less when bought in set, but it does not hurt to ask the salesman more about the set. Sometimes, you may be spending more than what you should have without realizing it. Take your time when buying home furniture. It is okay if you cannot buy and choose everything within the day. Also take into consideration things like the available space that you have in your home, the color of your walls or the carpet that you have. A lot of times, these things matter because even though you have elegant furniture, if it does not match your home, it will look out of place.